Tainted Vision || BARBRA GORDON

❖ PRELUDE: love at first sight ❖

『 PRELUDE: love at first sight 』

Azrael held the limp body of his dog in his hands. There was no blood. There were no guts. There was just Azrael and his bare hands. He was seven years old and crying harder than he had ever cried in his entire life. This was the first moment he began to question the Council and his last because like many of the other would-be-assassins recruited by the council of Shadows, Azrael was an abandoned orphan that nobody but the Council wanted. The Council had taken him in, clothed him, fed him. So Azrael didn't mind the weird games or rituals they were tasked to perform. 

In fact, just a month ago when they had handed him his beautiful german shepherd puppy, Azrael couldn't have been any happier. Azrael had always wanted a dog and when he looked into the dark brown eyes of his puppy, it was love at first sight. He had named the puppy Angel and he went everywhere with Azrael. The rest of the kids that Azrael slept with in the large stone building had also been given dogs and the whole place was filled with happy laughter and shouts of glee from morning until night. 

One day though, Azrael noticed that Rosa's dog Dimitri was no longer by her side. He had been a small terrier with dark fur and large eyes whom Rosa loved and cradled in her arms when she slept. Azrael asked her where Dimitri was but Rosa just stared at him before walking away which Azrael thought was odd. When other kids dogs started to disappear too though, fear seized Azrael's heart. Were the dogs sick? Were they dying? Azrael tried to ask their caretaker, Madame Lilith but she had just laughed, patted his curly head of hair and said.

"Everything is just fine little one." 

Three days later, Azrael was forced to kill Angel with his bare hands. 

When Azrael had been called by Madam Lilith into her office, and instructed to bring his dog, Azrael thought nothing of it. In fact, he was a little excited to show her all the tricks he had been teaching Angel. He could just about roll over and he knew how to shake hands so Azrael was excited to show this off to Madam Lilith. She watched Azrael and Angel perform tricks with a small smile on her face and when Azrael said, "Ta-da!" Madam Lilith clapped politely. 

"That's very good Azrael. None of the other kids were able to teach their pets any tricks." Azrael beamed up at her. "Now my child, I want you to kill your dog." Azrael's smile fell and he stared at Madam Lilith confused.

"Wh-what?"

"Did I stutter boy?" Madam Lilith demanded, standing from her seat.

"No ma'am but... I can't kill a dog." Azrael said, staring down at Angel with a mixture of fear and confusion. Angel cocked his head at Azrael, also looking pretty confused. 

"None of the other children hesitated." Azrael stared up at Madam Lilith in surprise, his jaw slack.

"N-no." Azrael stammered out. "Why would they... How could they...." Azrael was at a loss for words.

"It's simple my child." Madam Lilith said with a small smile, crouching down next to him. "Either you kill your little Angel or I kill you." Azrael was dumbstruck. 

"But Madam..." Lilith slapped Azrael hard enough to make tears form in his eyes. Angel started to bark at Madam Lilith as Azrael looked back up at her. She no longer had that kind, loving look on her face. In fact she looked ugly and mean and menacing. 

"Kill him now Azrael. You'll have one minute." Madam Lilith turned back around and pressed a button down on the black box that sat on her desk. It was a timer and it was quickly counting down the seconds.

"B-but!! how do I..."

"Get creative my boy." Madam Lilith said dismissively. Azrael's mouth was dry and he went slowly to pick up Angel who immediately jumped into his arms and started to lick his tears. Azrael hugged Angel to his chest, crying softly. "Thirty seconds Azrael." Azrael swallowed hard and squeezed his dog tighter into his chest, hearing Angel yelp in alarm and claw at his back with his paws. Angel squeezed tighter and tighter until there was a snap and Angel went limp. Still crying, Azrael pulled back, cradling Angel's limp body in his arms.

"W-why?" Azrael asked pathetically. 

"You loved Angel did you not?" Madam Lilith asked. Azrael nodded slowly. "Well you're part of the Council of Shadows now my son and do you know what that means?" Azrael was crying too hard to reply so he just shook his head no. "It means that there is only one thing you can love. His name is Malum."

"B-but I..."

"You can not love me, your friends, your dog. Do you understand me? If you love something, you should kill it because it will get in the way of the only thing you should show loyalty and devotion to."

"Who is Malum?" Azrael managed to choke out.

"He is out savior. He is the reason we took you in, clothed you, gave you food. You can love him and nobody else. He is providing all of this for you and all he asks in return is your unwavering loyalty. Can you do that?" Azrael swallowed hard but eventually slowly nodded. Madam Lilith smiled "Very good my child." Madam Lilith approached and patted Azrael on the back lightly. "Now stop crying. There is nothing to cry over is there? You didn't love that dog. There is only one person you love." Azrael nodded. "I need to hear you say it Azrael. Say that you hated that dog and that you only love Malum.

"I did not love Angel." Azael said, taking a deep breath. "I only love Malum." 

"Good. Keep repeating that my boy." Madam Lilith said, taking Angel's body out of his hands. Azrael nodded and wiped at the tears on his face. 

"I did not love Angel. I only love Malum." Azrael said as Madam Lilith walked to the door and opened it slowly. Alister stood there and he held his hand out for the dog with a blank expression on his face.

"So the boy was able to do it." Alister said. Madam Lilith smiled.

"Of course he was." She said. "Azrael is something... Special." Madam Lilith said.

"How? All the other kids have killed their dogs so far."

"Yes but Azrael was the only one to use his bare hands." Alister shrugged.

"So give him a reward. I'm going to go throw this away." Alister said, walking away. Madma Lilith smiled as she slowly closed the door. Behind her, Azrael was still chanting the mantra and she smiled happily as she walked back around and leaned up against her desk. He had a determined look on his face, hands clenched into fists at his side. He was no longer crying. He had found his resolve. He was going to make a wonderful member of the Council of Shadows.

A/N:
Azrael's aestheitc is like gold/bronze-ish and I hope you're excited for this next story!!! I have so much planned for it. So many sad and great things.  But I won't start updating until I finish Shadow Creatures|| Time Drake. If you don't know what I'm referring to, I suggest you go read that story first it will tie into this one.